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How Creativity Rules the World: The Art and Business of Turning Your Ideas into Gold by Maria Brito
kratositaly's review
5.0
It is not easy to define a book as "inspiring", but that is exactly what Maria Brito did with "How Creativity Rules the World"! As a young artist who is finding his creative voice and trying to pursue a career in filmmaking, the examples that Brito brings forth to illustrate how creativity is something you learn, and not something you inherently have, is highly motivational for artists and every other individual. The book works great as a motivational read, but it also delivers a very compelling and straightforward look at art through various ages and countries. Well worth a read, a revelatory book that is bound to inspire those that read it!
kristinecircenis's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my review.
For once, a book on creativity and working in a creative field that didn’t make me roll my eyes. I loved the how Brito framed using creativity to solve problems both on a personal level, but also professional.
Creatives, I think you’ll enjoy this one!
For once, a book on creativity and working in a creative field that didn’t make me roll my eyes. I loved the how Brito framed using creativity to solve problems both on a personal level, but also professional.
Creatives, I think you’ll enjoy this one!
studio_rat04's review
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.0
Less a dive into how creativity actually rules the world but more anecdotal pieces on the history of visual artists throughout history, mostly European based. I had strong hopes for this as a very creative individual, but I felt genuinely tired the entire time and felt like I wanted to rush through to the end since I couldn't gain anything out of it. The beginning had a strong grab but then falls flat and tiring, which is the opposite of what you want for a book that focuses on creativity. I'm sure some people would love this book, particularly painters or other visual artists, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.
kari_f's review against another edition
informative
reflective
4.0
I really enjoy reading about creativity from a variety of creators, because I think it’s fascinating to see where those individuals pull their creativity from and how they have harnessed it to make amazing things. When I saw this one available as an advanced reader copy, I was excited to dive in!
Some things I loved:
⚡️ The book addressed many of the common misconceptions people have about creativity, as well as sharing a variety of stories about past creatives and the results of scientific studies done on the topic.
⚡️ The “a day in the life” descriptions of modern and past artists that show how important hard work and structure are when it comes to allowing creativity to flow.
⚡️ Most of the chapters have a section with specific and practical actions one can take to work on a specific area of unlocking creativity, and these are really helpful for self-reflection, self-awareness, and getting creative juices flowing.
Some things I didn’t love:
⚡️ Right from the get go, the book talks about the monetary value of creativity. I can appreciate creativity from an entrepreneurial perspective, but this is a theme that was brought up several times. I didn’t need to see the progression from an idea to its eventual dollar amount or net worth, and those little facts kind of cheapened the value of creativity to me a bit. (Maybe this is more on me, since the cover addresses turning creative ideas into gold. I just felt like was too much of the focus.)
I feel like this book has really useful information, and I got a bit out of it, but I don’t think I was the target demographic for this one. If you’re someone looking at connections between creativity and entrepreneurship, this is the book for you!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Some things I loved:
⚡️ The book addressed many of the common misconceptions people have about creativity, as well as sharing a variety of stories about past creatives and the results of scientific studies done on the topic.
⚡️ The “a day in the life” descriptions of modern and past artists that show how important hard work and structure are when it comes to allowing creativity to flow.
⚡️ Most of the chapters have a section with specific and practical actions one can take to work on a specific area of unlocking creativity, and these are really helpful for self-reflection, self-awareness, and getting creative juices flowing.
Some things I didn’t love:
⚡️ Right from the get go, the book talks about the monetary value of creativity. I can appreciate creativity from an entrepreneurial perspective, but this is a theme that was brought up several times. I didn’t need to see the progression from an idea to its eventual dollar amount or net worth, and those little facts kind of cheapened the value of creativity to me a bit. (Maybe this is more on me, since the cover addresses turning creative ideas into gold. I just felt like was too much of the focus.)
I feel like this book has really useful information, and I got a bit out of it, but I don’t think I was the target demographic for this one. If you’re someone looking at connections between creativity and entrepreneurship, this is the book for you!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
chelsaat's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
If you’re like me, you maybe once thought that creativity is an inherent trait in people. Some people have it, some don’t. But that isn’t true, and Maria Brito is here to prove it to you. Anyone can learn to be more creative! It just takes practice and a reset of the mind.
I’ve worked with Maria for many years (and full disclosure, I did get to read this book in advance), so I know firsthand how incredible she is at pivoting her career when something isn’t working, or how she’s not afraid to take risks and try new things. It’s inspiring, really. Maria is an expert when it comes to the art world and the business world, and the marriage of the two = a winning formula on how to make it in any field.
My favorite thing about this book, other than the real-life examples from artists and entrepreneurs on specific skills and habits to cultivate creativity, is the “Alchemy Lab” at the end of each chapter. These are actionable, concrete steps to make each habit in this book a reality. I’ve done a few of them and can attest to their effectiveness.
This really is the perfect book for the era we’re in now - people are in a rut, quitting their jobs, realizing how meaningless life is if you’re not doing something you love. This book will encourage you to make that next leap in life, and show you how to do it in a way that’s not so scary.
Creativity really does rule the world. But anyone can be creative.
I’ve worked with Maria for many years (and full disclosure, I did get to read this book in advance), so I know firsthand how incredible she is at pivoting her career when something isn’t working, or how she’s not afraid to take risks and try new things. It’s inspiring, really. Maria is an expert when it comes to the art world and the business world, and the marriage of the two = a winning formula on how to make it in any field.
My favorite thing about this book, other than the real-life examples from artists and entrepreneurs on specific skills and habits to cultivate creativity, is the “Alchemy Lab” at the end of each chapter. These are actionable, concrete steps to make each habit in this book a reality. I’ve done a few of them and can attest to their effectiveness.
This really is the perfect book for the era we’re in now - people are in a rut, quitting their jobs, realizing how meaningless life is if you’re not doing something you love. This book will encourage you to make that next leap in life, and show you how to do it in a way that’s not so scary.
Creativity really does rule the world. But anyone can be creative.
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